Bad Medicine
by Kuroeia
Summary: What's between them can't be fixed, but it's not quite broken all the way.


**A/N:** Actually written on 2007/12/12. Clearing out my old WIP folder.

 **BAD MEDICINE**

"You are going to tell me what exactly you think you're doing, and you are going to tell me now," Jade informed Dist with a polite, steel-sharp smile.

"Ohoho! If you think I can be so easily coerced—"

Without changing his expression one jot from that familiar opaque smile, Jade hauled Dist out of his chair and slammed him against the wall by his throat, then leaned in close enough to whisper in Dist's ear. "You are going to tell me. Right now."

"I... um."

It had been a long, long time since Jade had been this close to him. The situation then had been considerably different, however. Back then, if they'd had an argument, all Dist would have had to do was wrap his arms around Jade's neck and kiss him relentlessly for a minute or two, and the argument would recede to semi-civil levels.

But he had been beautiful then, all pale skin and lithe muscles and startling silver hair. Though not quite up to Jade's level, he was a genius in his own right, and could hold an intelligent conversation. And they had not disagreed over anything so bitter as this.

Even then Jade had been unnaturally composed and withdrawn, but Dist had seen right away how starved he was for a decent conversation over tea with someone who wouldn't be reduced to smiling and nodding uneasily after five minutes in his company.

Dist had also seen the ferocious beauty of Jade's mind, and the tall straight length of his back, and the endlessly amused eyes behind those tasteful rimless glasses.

He'd been much in need of some decent conversation himself, at the time.

Thus, the next time he had an opportunity to corner Jade in the palace library, he'd asked him what he thought of an obscure new branch of research in fon theory, and skillfully strung that conversation along until they ended up alone in Jade's room.

Things had taken an easy, natural natural progression from there, and from that point onwards Dist became a regular decoration of Jade's bed, often breaking in and waiting for him to come home from research. Jade enjoyed building more and more complicated lock and trap systems to keep him out, and enjoyed it much, much more when Dist figured every one of them out and met him in his room regardless.

Those had been good times. Jade had been so easy to handle, then. Now, Dist was a bitter, twisted man whose demented smile had warped his face far away from its old beauty. Jade would not want him anymore. Not like this.

"I'm not going to tell you," he said quietly, giving up his strident act for now. It would only make Jade angrier anyway.

"You are," repeated Jade, leaning in even closer.

Dist began to wonder.

Was there really no hope after all? It was worth a try; either it would work, or Jade would blast him through the wall and leave him to die under the rubble in a pool of his own blood.

A worthy gamble for Dist the Rose.

He slid his arms around Jade's neck and pulled his face in for a gentle, hopeful kiss.

By Lorelei, he would die if his hypothesis was off, one way or another. He'd forgotten this... the cool, collected movements of Jade's tongue, the sweep of ash-green hair across his cheeks, the cold touch of his glasses.

He was not wrong.

Jade was not pulling away, nor was he doing any stabbing, and there were no fonons gathering for a massive arte attack. He was just... kissing Dist back, almost like he'd always used to.

Dist wanted to cry with relief, and joy. Jade was his oldest, best friend, and he'd missed him like fire while the gulf between them had widened and the scar tissue had hardened.

"You are an idiot, and one of these days I am going to kill you," Jade told him when he pulled away at last, sounding only slightly breathless, which was a bit insulting.

"You're welcome to try," said Dist, and kissed him again.

The truce wouldn't last past the door, he knew. He would not give up on Professor Nebilim, and as long as he held on to that, Jade would remain out of his reach.

That said, he was within reach now, _just_ for right now, and Dist meant to make the most of it.

 **X**


End file.
